Following are two accounts of a 1942 incident in , North , shortly after the amphibious assault by the 1st Infantry Division –– an incident that has strikingly modern overtones. The first account is the recollection of Armin Wherle, then a lieutenant in Company “I”, 26th Infantry. The second is an excerpt from the book by Colonel Edson D. Raff, then a Lt. Col. commanding the Task Force to which Company I was attached. Both record the tensions that developed between Americans and French, and between French and .

The Incident Tunisia, November 1942

Lt. Col. Armin A. Wehrle, USA (Retired)

After several weeks of amphibious training in Scotland and a long sea voyage to , we made a 1:00 A.M. landing on the beaches of . This was the beginning of our first campaign in World War II. The two weeks at sea, followed by an 18-mile hike to the top of Djebel Mujajo (the 3d Battalion's objective) were a good test of our physical condition. Though little resistance was expected, the French troops under Vichy France fought for three days before an armistice was agreed upon. Units of the Foreign Legion from Sidi bel Abbes were used in the fighting. They even made a futile cavalry charge on our position, probably one of the last of World War II. 1 can still remember General Roosevelt standing up, while most of us were on the ground, shooting at them as they galloped down a road in front of our line.

After hostilities ceased, our Battalion marched from the mountain, through the outskirts of Oran, to the city's airport, where we bivouacked with the rest of the Regiment.

The three days of fighting were our initiation to combat, and though little has been written about the action, it was a traumatic experience for us. Three officers, Robert Landess, George Kroushnarov, and William Pheil, and several enlisted men were killed. Kroushnarov and Pheil were from the 3d Battalion.

After a few days of much needed rest, "I" Company was given orders to fly to the eastern part of Algeria. Our mission was to guard an airfield being established at Tebessa, a short distance from the Tunisian border.

We flew in C-47s with an escort of P-38s. The first leg of our flight was to an airport south of Algiers, where we spent the night. That night the Germans bombed Algiers, which was our first observation of German activity in North Africa. The next day we completed our flight to Tebessa. We flew “on the deck "at an elevation of approximately 500 feet to minimize detection by the Germans. They had plenty of aircraft in the area and we were far from having air superiority.

We arrived at our destination late in the afternoon, and were met by a Lt. Col. by the name of Edson Raff of the 82nd Airborne and some units of his battalion. He told us that we were going to be a part of a task force that he was assembling, and would be moving out that night to Tunisia to take the city of Gafsa which had fallen into German hands, As this was a surprise to us, our Company

1 Commander contacted Headquarters at Algiers for verification of Col. Raffs authority and plans. After that was received, busses were obtained from Tebessa. We boarded them and started off towards Gafsa, some 90 miles away. With no maps we had little idea where we were going except that it was somewhere in southern Tunisia. We found out later that our task force consisted of a company of paratroopers and a small unit of French troops with small armored cars WW I vintage.

Gafsa is a typical oasis with plenty of water and date palms surrounded by the arid countryside. In the center of the city there was an old Fort or Kasbah built many years ago. Many of the stones used in its construction came from Greek and Roman ruins that are so prevalent in Tunisia and Algeria. The fort could have been used as a prop for the movie “Beau Geste.” It was a charming and romantic city.

After a nerve-wracking ride under blackout conditions that took all night. we reached at the outskirts of the city. Our company took a position on high ground to the west, just outside of town. A French unit with its little armored car drove cautiously on the road into the city followed by some troops. The car hit a mine and was stopped. Other than the mine there was no other evidence of the presence of any Germans. The French went into town and immediately started searching the Arab quarters. As our Company commander was ill, as Executive Officer I went forward with my runner to

2 find out what was going on. I was told to have our company move east to cut off any possible escape of any Germans that might be in the area.

Our company made its move without incident and then joined the others in the area near the Fort and French barracks. I made a quick survey of the barracks with a couple of men, finding nothing, had the company divided amongst the available buildings. Two men went into one room and noticed that a large cupboard (clothes closet) was lying upside down on the floor. Being suspicious, they cautiously raised it, and to their surprise, found two German paratroopers underneath, a sergeant and a private armed with a Luger and machine pistol. They didn't resist, and became, to the best of my knowledge, the first German prisoners captured by U.S. Infantry in North Africa. We had a reporter from the Chicago Tribune with us, and his report of the capture and retaking of Gafsa, made front page news in U.S. papers, Pictures and posters of the prisoners also received wide publicity among our units in Africa. Ironically, one of the men who made the capture was a Corporal by the name of Rosenberg.

Later that day the French rounded up Arabs that were suspected of aiding the Germans and looting the barracks. They then proceeded to execute them in front of a firing squad. I would estimate that anywhere between 60 to 80 were shot, about ten at a time. An officer assured their death with a "Coup de Grace." Every once in awhile one or more of the victims would try to escape to the palm grove that was close by, but they were quickly found and shot. Wives and children of the victims were standing by and watching and wailing. It was shocking moment for all of us. Most could not watch the bloody event and stood helplessly by. Wagons were standing by, and the dead were hauled away to be buried. I can only guess that it was in a common grave, I didn't ask.

After the slaughter, there was an accumulation of blood on the sandy soil, approximately 10 feet in diameter, that remained for days after, a traumatic reminder of what had happened.

Though we had the Tribune reporter with us, to the best of my knowledge the event never reached or was reported in the newspapers in the States. For us it was a grim reminder of what war was like and what lay ahead.

The above is a recount of what occurred in the early part of November 1942; as I remember it, the approximate date was Nov. 15th. I was Ex. Officer of I company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Infantry; at that time Capt. Edward Devlin was our company commander. To the best of my knowledge I company was the first unit of the Division to go into Tunisia against the Germans, and the first to capture prisoners of war.

The Incident in Gafsa Following Its Recapture by Raff Force

Colonel Edson D. Raff, USA

Shortly after the Allies landed in Northwest Africa, the high command flew paratroops under command of Lt. Col. Raff into an airfield at Youks les Bains, near the boundary between Algeria and Tunisia, from which “Raff Force” advanced by road to Gafsa, Tunisia. Soon,

3 however, a superior force of Germans and Italians advanced on Gafsa, forcing Raff Force — only one hundred paratroopers— to withdraw to Tebessa, where Raff requested reinforcements. The latter materialized with the arrival of Company I and an anti-tank platoon armed with 37mm guns from the 26th Infantry Regiment, and a separate company of “tank destroyers” under command of Captain Ellman. Raff Force once again advanced on Gafsa.

As the attack moved into Gafsa, the infantry in a wide double envelopment captured all the Arabs and suspicious looking Frenchmen in sight. They did this in response to a French request and because Nazis were reported to be carrying Arab burnouses and fezzes. The fez, a red hat, is worn with a burnoose (a kind of cloak) and from a distance makes the wearer appear to be an Arab. But it was always possible to distinguish fake Arabs, that is, Axis soldiers, from real Arabs, simply by looking at their feet. Most indigenes go without shoes and the wear and tear on their feet is such as to make it an easy matter to distinguish between their gnarled extremities and feet which have been protected by shoes.

Casualties to our force were practically nil. One French armored car fell victim to a road mine.

Riding through the streets of Gafsa in Captain Ellman's half-track that morning was like leading a triumphal parade. French men, women, children, and pro-Allied Arabs obviously had undergone trying hours since our departure. They were sincerely glad to see us return.

German parachutists, led by a German captain, had arrived in the town soon after we left. Their arrival signaled the commencement of disorders by lawless Arab elements living in and around Gafsa. Do not miss-understand me; the average Arab citizen did not participate in the felonies. Gangsters who, previously, had been in trouble with the local French authorities were the principal culprits. The Nazi captain had permitted them to loot the compound of, the Guarde Mobile, destroy fixtures in the buildings and strip clothing from some of the women. French police and civil authorities were powerless to intervene. All day the outrages continued. A French soldier in the civilian jail was killed and his shoes stolen by one of the Arabs. And these examples are only a few of the countless misdeeds condoned by the Nazi soldiery. Thus the man-made quake of war shook the little oasis out of its peaceful lethargy. All inhabitants realized that from the moment the Allies invaded North Africa, all places, including Gafsa, were subject to the horrors of a war against the Axis.

From the roundup of Arabs outside the Kasba, French police and civil authorities culled out perpetrators of the outrages. In some cases, the selection was simplicity itself, for guilty Arabs still wore clothing stolen from Frenchmen, still had under their bernouses and hanging around their necks useful articles like electric light fixtures. The French women, who had remained behind, pointed out additional guilty ones to the police. During the next three days of retribution, volleys of shots could be heard echoing through the narrow streets of Gafsa. Gangster Arabs received their just punishment —death.

The French suggested to me that American soldiers should form part of the firing squad, but I felt that it was none of our business. In the end, members of the Guarde Mobile from Tebessa who were brothers and husbands of the women left behind formed the bulk of the volunteers.

4 Out of thirty-nine Arabs slated to be shot, only one escaped. It happened that I was passing by during the single break for freedom. Three Arabs were lined up against a hedge by French soldiers. Before the soldiers who had lined them up could walk away, one of the Arabs jumped over the hedge and started running down through the gardens behind the Kasbah. The firing squad dispersed and fired after him; other soldiers ran to cut off his retreat. As far as I know he was never caught. The other two with him fell at the first shots. One of them didn't die immediately, so a member of the firing squad pulled out his pistol and pumped four bullets into the man's head at close range. The Arab squirmed no more. The two corpses were dragged close to twenty others who had been executed earlier. They lay in the Tunisian sunlight on view for the whole town to see. In the curious crowd witnessing the executions were the French women and children whom some of the dead Arabs had terrorized.

A rather insignificant incident which happened indicates somewhat the state of mind of one person in Gafsa after a day of Nazis. I was walking down the main street towards our headquarters, when a pretty blue-eyed French girl came up and spoke to me. I remembered having seen her once or twice before, from a distance, but had never talked to her. Without formality of any kind she said in French, "Vous êtes marié?" I didn't understand her at first. She repeated again, "Vous êtes marié?— Non? Desirez me marier?" The story of security which America seems to signify to all foreigners had even reached Gafsa! Her frank proposal covered me with confusion. No French words would come out. The girl smiled and walked away, thinking she hadn't made herself understood. Later, I intended to tell her I had understood perfectly, but she left that night for Constantine.

Now that Gafsa was held by us, plans were made to defend it. The Chasseur d'Afrique again reconnoitered the road to Gabes. The anti-tank platoon, with a rifle platoon from the infantry company, went into defensive positions east of the town beyond Lalla in the suburbs of Gafsa. We expected no immediate trouble from Gabes. But since the "Alsatian" had cut all telephone wires to the coast town, we knew suspicions would be aroused in the enemy camp.

About noon, fifty proud American paratroopers marched to headquarters, driving before them two scared, under-nourished little Germans, who, in their own land, were paratroopers. These men were the only prisoners captured in the morning battle. They had been found, trembling with fear, hiding without weapons in the cupboard of a building. Of course, it was the merest coincidence that our first skirmish with Axis troops resulted in the capture of German parachutists, but as the reader will recall, I had long felt just such a thing might happen.

Captain Ellman's tank destroyer company was at last able to get the rest it so badly needed. After a sleep, the mechanics planned to do maintenance work on the almost worn out half-tracks. Little did anyone guess what the next twenty-four hours had in store.

The stillness of Gafsa's lazy midday was disturbed only by reports from General Welvert's Bou Chebka headquarters. The unconfirmed civilian rumors stated that an enemy column, consisting of fifteen tanks, six truck-towed 88-mm. guns and motorized infantry, had reached . The 88-mms. were said to be proceeding north in the direction of . That meant if the column pushed on it would reach Thelepte at the junction of the Gafsa-Tebessa road sometime that afternoon. General Welvert was positive it would turn north toward Tebessa, unless attacked, and very likely enter the city next morning.

5 By this time, I had learned to take reports from certain French civilians with a grain of salt. Their rumors I discounted entirely. It was often hard to determine just where sympathies lay, or if the informant were Vichy, collaborator, or out-and-out pro-Axis. Consequently, in this instance, I intended to take no action until the statements were verified by French military authorities.

About o'clock that afternoon, a motorcycle from the French Gabes patrol rushed into Gafsa. "One of our armored cars is in contact with enemy tanks. They are followed by trucks and are approaching El Guettar!" said the driver breathlessly. "One tank has been knocked out."

I simply couldn't believe it. El Guettar was only twelve miles from Gafsa. At that very moment, I received a personal plea from General Welvert, through his aide, to come with the whole Force to Thelepte. Someone actually had seen enemy tanks at Thelepte. "Tebessa will fall," said the aide, "unless you come immediately."

This, I thought, is the old pincer movement.

There was only one decision to make. Despite the honest appeal of General Welvert's aide and his emotional plea in the name of French-American comradeship in arms, I ordered the tank destroyers and infantry to "mount up." We were going, with all we had, to meet the enemy at El Guettar.

El Guettar is noteworthy as the nearest fair-sized oasis to Gafsa. On the east and north the native village is over-looked by relatively high mountains. To the south and towards Gafsa, there is a flat plain bordering on a large depression, which in the rainy season is very muddy. This, then, was the setting of our first engagement with tanks.

As the tank destroyers approached El Guettar, the reconnaissance unit of the company went into action. To us, who had never seen the tank-busters go about their business of destroying tanks, the men of the reconnaissance platoon, in the open, unarmored jeeps, seemed to be the height of military light-heartedness. Someone said their purpose was to draw the fire of the enemy tanks. I believe it. Evidently, enemy tankers find it impossible to resist the temptation offered by the jeeps running out ahead.

Then the action started. An enemy tank hidden 3500 yards off, revealed itself for a few seconds, trying to improve its firing position. Before it could fire a single round Lieutenant Edson in command of a self-propelled 75-mm. gun, plastered it with a round of armor-piercing shell. The tank began to smoke. Another tank appeared. More 75-mm. fire, another tank hit! Then -mm. guns and 5o-caliber machine guns firing tracer, added to the spectacle and the noise. The enemy showed signs of withdrawal into the town of El Guettar. The eager "busters" followed.

Although the setting sun had been in the most favorable position for Captain Ellman's gunners, the light now began to fade. From somewhere up on the hill to our left came occasional rifle shots. They must have been fired by Germans who, that morning, had escaped from Gafsa.

Paratroopers became tank hunters on foot. Thirty of them detrucked, and went into the oasis of El Guettar. Their attempt to ferret out enemy tanks believed to be hiding there in order to expose them to the 75 mm. fire was unsuccessful.

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Finally, in darkness, I gave the order to return to Gafsa. One prong of the pincers had surely been badly bent.

The count, in all, was five enemy medium tanks destroyed. One had been stopped by a French armored car before we arrived. But the triumph was greater than we thought. Some days after the engagement a patrol discovered four more tanks abandoned at distances from twenty-five to fifty miles beyond Gafsa on the Gabes road. Later two of them were retrieved and used by the French.

Our losses totaled one jeep "missing." It happened this way: two of Captain Ellman's men riding in a reconnaissance jeep were out front trying to draw lire. An unseen enemy tank from close range fired at them, blowing the men out of their jeep. While they were recovering themselves the Axis tank crew (with thoughts of the future escape, no doubt) jumped out, hooked the jeep onto the tank and towed it off. The grounded pair, unhurt but quite chagrined, made their way back to Gafsa.

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